Flag Day

 

In May of every year, Australians submit themselves to a national experience of repentance. Sounds unusual, but it’s true. First, there’s National Sorry Day (this year it’s May 26), which is followed by National Reconciliation Week, which this year is May 27-June 3. According to one source, National Sorry Day, also known as National Day of Healing, is “an annual event that has been held in Australia on May 26 since 1998, to remember and commemorate the mistreatment of the country’s indigenous peoples, as part of an ongoing process of reconciliation between the indigenous peoples and the settler population.” The week of reconciliation which follows is intended “to celebrate the history and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, and foster reconciliation, discussion and activities.” This is a great idea, and I wish the United States had such a week-long period of national repentance. We have so much of which to repent; slavery, the treatment of Native Americans and ongoing racism for starters. I know there are some who may disagree about the need to do this at a national level, but I believe it would be a good thing. But, having a pastoral heart as I do, I also think it would be good for every church in America to have a Sorry Sunday, and a Week of Reconciliation. Sorry Sunday would be a day in which we fervently repent for our sins on a personal level. We draw up plans to make amends. We approach those whom we have wronged. We make right the wrongs we have committed. Perhaps Lent would be a good time to designate one Sunday as Sorry Sunday. This could be followed by a church-wide Week of Reconciliation. Devotional messages, reconciling activities, worship and prayer, vesper services, and more. Such a week could be a time of renewal and a refreshing of the Holy Spirit in the church. But what about us? Perhaps we should think about having a Sorry Day once a month or once a week. But only if we find it hard to say, “I’m sorry,” and offer an apology. We don’t need a special Sorry Day, do we, if we already make it a habit to correct an injustice when it is done, or to apologize when a harsh word is uttered, or to offer the hand of friendship to the friendless? Let’s not forget how to say, “I’m sorry,” and let’s not forget how to swallow our pride and make things right when things go wrong. —Timothy Merrill

[Isaiah 9:6-7] “…Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end…” The government of the United States and its Constitution were established under the ideals and morals of God’s Word. Flag Day marks the anniversary of the official adoption of the United States flag on June 14, 1777. Unfortunately, flags have become like magazines and web sites – everybody’s got one. The U.S. flag has been given a back seat to many of them as its history fades in ignorance along with our public Pledge of Allegiance because it contains the phrase, “…under God…” On June 14, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill to insert the phrase “under God” into the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance that children recited every morning in school. American’s lived by the morals of God Almighty every day.

While searching through my references I came across an Editorial in our local newspaper, the Wilson County News, of October 5, 2005. A political cartoon was exhibiting the thoughts of the time.                                                                                                                                                           

The State of Texas was “defending the Pledge as an entirely Constitutional acknowledgement of God and our heritage.” God save America. Our only hope and stay. 

Lift Your Cross and Follow Me

 

A Maine potato farmer and a Texas Rancher were engaged in conversation at a political rally. The man from the Lone Star State asked, “How much land do you tend?” The Mainer replied, “About a hundred acres.” “I manage about a thousand myself” said the Texan in a slow drawl. The man from Maine was not overly impressed, so the Texan continued, “I know where there’s a much bigger ranch south of San Antonio. To give you an idea of its size, the owner can start off in the morning in his pick-up, and he ain’t barely crossed his place by noon.” The man from Maine said, “Yup, I had a truck like that once.”

Life is full of ups and downs. If we made a list of all of the positive things in our life, all of the blessings, that list would almost certainly far exceed a similar list of all of the negative things in our life. Despite that fact, we tend to focus more on the downs than on the ups, more on the negatives than on the positives. It would be a good exercise in self-examination to try to figure out why this is the case. One fundamental reason for being so consumed with the difficulties, challenges and troubles of life is the mindset that we carry into life on a daily basis. Our mindset can be understood as the lenses through which we look at life. It is the general framework of how we view life, of what happens to us and around us. If our mindset tends toward the negative, then we will naturally see life from a more negative perspective. Our mindset is of our own making. It is the result of how we set our mind. We make the choice as to how we will take on the day. The most productive mindset is one that is guided by godliness.

[Colossians 3:2] The apostle Paul advised: “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” A faithful Christian knows who he is, what he is, and where he is going. As a result, he sees life from a different perspective than most people. He recognizes that this world, and all that goes on herein, is temporary. The faithful Christian is looking, ultimately, to eternity. He can stay basically positive even in the face of seemingly negative circumstances. An instructive, and comforting, passage of scripture along this line reads as follows: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). This verse does not say that all things that happen are necessarily good. It says that the faithful Christian, “those who love God...who are the called according to His purpose,” can face each day with the expectation that God can cause good to come from even the bad things that happen to them in life. Such a mindset enables a faithful Christian to see life, even with its difficulties, challenges, and troubles, through lenses of hope, expectation, and assurance rather than of hopelessness, despair, and depression. The faithful Christian’s mindset enables him to enjoy life more abundantly (John 10:10) and far less superficially than a person who can’t see past the matters of this world.

“…I oft complained to Jesus how folks were treating me…” This is a portion of the words to the song “Follow Me” by Ira F. Stanphill. The song continues where Jesus replies and tells how heavy the cross was to bear and says, “Be faithful… Just lift your cross and follow close to Me.”

What is your mindset? What do you do when things go bad? Trust God to watch over and care for you, whatever may come (Matthew 6:33-34). Your Heavenly Father sent His Son to be your Savior. Through Him you can find abiding peace to see you through the trials and troubles of this life (Philippians 4:4-7). Through Him you will be able to do all things that truly need to be done (Philippians 4:11-13). Be always mindful of eternity.

His Power Is All In Your Mind

 

The newly constructed tracks of the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific railways were first linked at Promontory Point, Utah, on May 10, 1869. In celebration, Leland Stanford, the president of Central Pacific, drove a golden spike symbolically completing the job. On his first swing, he missed the spike, drawing gales of laughter from the experienced railroad workers looking on. This misfire was embarrassing, but ultimately harmless. But when it comes to moral issues, a swing and a miss can be deadly. Sin is “missing the mark” that God has set for us, and it is no laughing matter!

[Job 1:4-5] “And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did regularly.” Did you catch that? Job was as concerned about the things that might have been done wrong as much as what was done wrong. Job wasn’t just counting up to what he had to offer to cover up his and his son's sins. He wanted to be extra careful to make sure that nothing could have been done that might have been against the Lord.

Sometimes as humans, we tend to give more credit to our enemies than they actually deserve. I know that in my personal life, I struggle with making Satan much more powerful than he already is. Sometimes we tend to think of Satan as an all-powerful being, when in reality - he isn’t. This is demonstrated in the book of Job several times when we see Satan going to God and having to ask His permission to be able to get to Job. Not only was he forced to ask for authority, but he was still limited to what he could and couldn’t do.

“Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.’ So, Satan departed from the presence of the Lord” (Job 1:12). We see that Satan cannot do anything that God doesn’t want him to do. This shows that he is not omnipotent, and certainly not more powerful than God. We can also see from Job chapter one that Satan is not omnipresent. “The Lord said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’ Then Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.’” (Job 1:7). We see here that Satan cannot be everywhere at once. We also see in all of this that Satan still answers to God. Satan and God are not on the same level when it comes to power. It isn’t like in the movies where the “gods” are all powerful and there is a constant battle between them. God has Satan in his place, and Satan couldn’t overstep the power God has given him, as he always wants to.

What a Christian can take from this is that we shouldn’t give more credit to Satan than he is worth. Yes, he is an enemy, and a powerful one, but we shouldn’t give him more power in our heads than he has. We should take comfort in this, remembering that we serve an all - powerful God who Satan has no control or chance against. God is in control, and that is how it will remain.

“I beg of you, my dear brother, to live among these books [Scriptures], to meditate upon them, to know nothing else, to seek nothing else.” – Jerome

“The Word of God and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select just a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than the whole Bible can make a whole Christian.” – A.W. Tozier

“Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:5).

Memorial Day

 

When the remains of a fallen soldier arrive from overseas, a dignified transfer of the body takes place — usually — at Dover Air Force Base, the primary port mortuary for U.S. military personnel killed in action. Perhaps you’ve seen a ceremony or two on television. It is a tearful and tragic event, a solemn and choreographed moment undertaken by military carry teams who transfer flag-draped caskets from planes to awaiting families.

You may remember, for example, when the bodies of three U.S. service members who were killed in a drone attack in Jordan about 15 months ago were received at Dover Air Force Base with military honors. President Biden attended the ceremony, reflecting the ongoing tradition of dignified transfers to help provide meaning and closure to grieving families.

If you have served in the military or have had family members in the service, you can understand how gut-wrenching these ceremonies can be. I had a close high school classmate who, shortly after graduation, was shipped to Vietnam. His name is now etched in the marble wall of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., along with the names of more than 58,000 other service personnel who died in that war. Tomorrow is Memorial Day. We will pause to honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to their country.

Their sacrifice reminds us of the high cost of freedom and reflects a principle that lies at the heart of the Christian faith: sacrificial love. Just as these brave individuals set aside their own safety to serve a greater good, Christ laid down his life on the cross so that we might experience freedom — freedom from sin, fear, and death (Romans 5:8).

―Timothy Merrill

[1 Corinthians 13:8] Love never fails. Love is one of the most loosely used words in the English language. This creates a lot of confusion about what true love really is. Most people think of love as a strong, warm feeling of affection for someone or something. Certainly, there is a strong emotional aspect to love. In the Bible, love is not just something one feels, it is the decision of the will to help others, even if one must sacrifice one’s self to do so. That’s how God and Christ love us and that’s how we should love others.

(1 John 3:16-18) “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or tongue, but in deed and in truth.” So, it is not enough to say, “I love you” (although we certainly should say that to our loved ones). We must back those words up with genuine, loving actions.

As we reflect on the sacrifice of these soldiers, we remember that death is not the final word for those who belong to Christ. Memorial Day is not just a day of mourning; it is also a day to celebrate hope — the twin hope that first, light does shine in the darkness, and second, that love is stronger than death.

Prayer: Compassionate God, on this Memorial Day, we thank you for the men and women who gave their lives for the sake of freedom. We honor their courage and remember their sacrifice with gratitude. Help us to follow their example by living lives of service and love. We also thank you for the ultimate sacrifice of your Son, Jesus Christ, who gave his life so that we might live. May his resurrection fill our hearts with hope, even in times of loss. Amen. Are you willing to give your life for God and country?

Trials Are Good For You

 

The Christian life has been described as “heading into a storm, in a storm, or coming out of a storm.” The question for the believer is not if trials will come, but what to do when they do come.

In the early morning hours of May 8^th my cell phone rang awaking me from a great sleep. The parental panic instantly runs through a thousand scenarios confusing the brain as one is coming to, sitting up and grabbing the ringing phone. Then I see one of the children’s name on the caller ID. Instantly, one visualizes the grandchildren and great-grandchildren with sadness developing. One takes a deep breath and answers with gentleness, knowing this phone call at four in the morning isn’t going to be cheerful. Our daughter informed me she discovered her husband of 36 years died in his sleep lying next to her. My wife is already crying and mourning but yet doesn’t know what has happened. After I got some concrete information from our daughter, I then had to tell my wife.

A shock is putting it lightly, but because we all share in the deep faith of God’s providence and authority the whole family could accept the tragedy without prejudice. God is still love and there is no doubt in my mind our son-in-law is in the presence of God.

[Acts 14:22] The apostle Paul said, “…We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” Paraphrased into today’s language, Jesus might say we have a “rough row to hoe” before we enter into God’s presence. Accepting the blunt reality of trial and hardship is the first step to dealing with adversity. The Christian is no more immune to cancer or hurricanes than the non-Christian. The ruin of the fall and the entrance of sin into the universe adversely affects both man and creation. Romans 8:22 states, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”

We must realize that the primary purpose of adversity is to expose our weakness and drive us to fresh trust and dependence on Jesus Christ. Jesus wants us to trust Him with each burden, each problem, each setback. 1 Peter 5:5-7 states, “…all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

God knows that if we trust Him as our faith is tested, we will discover His strength – we will grow stronger. In our weakness, we can discover His strength. The winds of financial misfortune, illness, divorce, or death, may be too much for us to handle, but nothing is too complicated or burdensome for God!

James 1:2-4 NKJV; “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work and complete, lacking nothing.”

Phillips Modern English Version states: “When all kinds if trials and temptations crowd into your lives, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until the endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character with the right sort of independence. And if, in the process, if any of you does not know how to meet any particular problem, he has only to ask God – who gives generously to all men without making them feel foolish or guilty – and he may be quite sure that the necessary wisdom will be given him.” Are you ready to meet God?